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Thursday, 29 December 2011

By the skin of my teeth I have just managed to enter the Alter It Monthly challenge. I did mean to enter earlier but what with Christmas and other stuff it never happened, but better late than never. Sadly this is their last ever challenge and their final theme is celestial, and as I don't have any stars, moon or sun stamps it had to be angels.

You'll have to excuse the poor quality of the photo, as you know I still don't have a camera and my iphone does not take good pics in poor light. It does look better than this in real life honest LO!.

I used one of the angel stamps from Kreativhobby. I stamped it onto some patterned paper that had a light coat of gesso then I used inktense pencils to colour the angels. The frame was gessoed and stamped with versamagic inks and stamped with a music stamp (even though you can't see it!) Then I made some more Tim Holtz roses using the pine cone die and tinted with the versamagic inks.

Have just edited this to add a better photo. Also I would like to thank all the Design Team of Alter It Monthly for all their hard work and for all the inspirational projects that they have created since running the challenge. Wishing them all good luck in their new ventures.

Tuesday, 27 December 2011

Hoping you all had a great Christmas. Ours wasn't very peaceful as the dog decided to scoff a Thornton's chocolate Santa when we weren't looking (chocolate is poisonous in large quantities for dogs, our dog is small and he consumed a very large amount!) so we had to take him to the Vets on Christmas Day, I won't go into details for the treatment as it wasn't pleasant and I'm sure you can imagine LOL but we returned £130 lighter.

Anyway onto my project as its nearly the end of the year I decided to make a calendar. I recycled some cardboard which I covered in Tim Holtz Vintage shabby paperI die cut the edges, distressed and stamped. For the main image I used the pretty Artistic Outpost Bluebird stamps which I coloured in using new flexmarkers from my stash. The roses were made using some more of the Tim Holtz Vintage shabby paper& my new tattered pine cone die (which I never had a chance to make any cones with in time for christmas LOL) I printed the calendar on the computer then used my bind it all to attach it. Some string was added to finish.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your holidays and here's looking forward to a very crafty New Year.

Friday, 23 December 2011

Wishing all my lovely crafting bloggers a Happy Christmas and Very Crafty New Year. I thought I would bore you with a few of the many christmas cards I made, thankfully all finished now phew. Just the wrapping of some pressies and some more mince pies to do, we scoffed the last lot.

Even managed to make a few cute ones!!

Anyway Have a Lovely Christmas and hopefully you will receive some gorgeous crafty goodies in your stockings XX

This is one of the set of three boxes made for a friend and is all wrapped up now, but I forgot to take a photo of the inside of the box, but it is lined with some prima paper. It is painted with my usual matt paint from B& Q, The main image is CI - 302 stamped in archival ink and painted with water colours.

Whilst on the theme of boxes I thought I'd show you the final one. Made in the same way. Using my favourite set of Tim Holtz papillon stamps & another favourite, carte postale from stampendous cling. This one is lined with Bo Bunny paper.

Still taking pics with my phone :-( I had ordered a great panasonic camera for christmas, but have had to claim a chargeback on my credit card as the company look decidedly dodgy and haven't delivered it. So no xmas present for me until the new year now oh dear, as Jason Orange (from TT) would say 'Buy cheap, you buy twice' LOL.

Now Blog Candy Winners, sorry its late, I'm so like Alice's White Rabbit even more so at this time of year.

Winner of set one is Marjorie's Owl & Elly is the Winner of set two, if you could both let me have your addresses I will post out ASAP.

Sunday, 18 December 2011

Well its that time again for another Fashionable Stamping Challenge and what a welcome relief not a Santa or reindeer insight, well just a touch of ivy LOL. So do please head over and feast your eyes on the gorgeous creations of the Fashionettes for some truly stunning inspiration. This challenge is all about Travel, it could be a card, ATC, canvas, box you name it as long as it features some stamping, the world is your oyster.

So to be in for a chance to win this gorgeous set of stamps from the lovely Marina from Cottage Craftsall you have to is blog your entry here.

I decided on a canvas of famous cities around the world, which I gessoed then went a little mad stamping on and used inktense pencils to add some colour. I have a penchant for travel themed stamps, so I had plenty to choose from. I used Crafty Individuals CI- 228 to stamp on eco board which I then tinted with water colour and triple embossed with UTEE.

Other stamps used

Curious by design - Paris Voyage

Stampersanonymous - Urban chic

Stampendous cling - Carte Postale

Blog Candy has now finished and it will be drawn tomorrow, winners notified and hopefully I will get to the post office before christmas.

Apologises that I haven't managed to visit all your lovely blogs, but I'm even more unorganised than normal and late doing everything. My new years resolution is definitely to organise my time and workspace better wishful thinking perhaps!!

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

I've just about surfaced under the mound of christmas cards I have been making. Being an exceedingly slow crafter I have struggled with the amount of cards I have made this year, about 22 of them in the last few days and I have to say I have had enough of cardmaking for a while so it was a welcome relief to make something different even though it was still christmasy.

I think tree decorations can make lovely gifts; each year when decorating the tree you are reminded of the person who gave it to you.
I made a shaker style ornament from recycled cardboard and acetate.I used the Tim Holtz baroque die to create the ornamnet then painted it with cream acrylic paint and then stamped with the snowflakes from Artistic Outpost Sleigh Ride with coffee archival ink. The main image is Lost Coast Designs Praying Angel. I added a snowflake charm and some confetti stars and some gold glitter beads and a gold tassel to finish.

Another quick project from me, this time a card using this lovely vintage old St Nick mounted stamp. I stamped onto Kraft card with archival ink. I used versamagic aspen mist to tint round the edges of the stamped image and the sentiment ticket. Then I used paper from my stash to create this easel card.

The current Happy Daze challenge is Gifts, Cards & Tags. There is still plenty of time to enter. One lucky winner will be drawn at random to win a £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop.Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

I decided to make a little dressmakers box, as you know I love altering boxes. This is one of a set of three boxes I have altered for a friend, who handed me three boxes and asked me to stamp on them for her!! I hope she likes them as she was a bit vague with her remit LOL.

Anyway I painted the box with three coats of my favourite matt emulsion from B & Q Craig and Rose, it has a chalky finish and I find it ideal for stamping on. Then I always sand it down with fine wet and dry paper to give a smooth finish.

The stamps used are Crafty Individuals CI - 306 & 328 and Oxford Impressions The dressmaker. I used a combination of distress inks and water colour paints to colour the stamps. Then using wood balsam to seal the box and giving it a subtle sheen. I added a touch of silver to the scissors using a krylon pen and a added a sewing machine charm too. Finally lining the box with some paper from my stash.

Thursday, 1 December 2011

Not a very enticing title for this post. It is my friends birthday tomorrow and of course I have left everything to the last moment as usual. I wanted to put some Thorntons choccies in the drawer but our car has had a flat tyre since yesterday and I'm having to wait in for Kwik fit to replace it today so my friend may not have her choccies to go in it if Mr Kwik Fit does not arrive soon. Fortunately I already have her present so will have to think of something else to put in the drawer. Any ideas?

I found several blog tutorials for drawer easel cards to help me make this. I wish I had one of those score pal things as I'm sure it would have made it a lot easier, as I'm not very accurate and wasted a bit of paper on this.

I used 6 x 6 Melissa Frances papers and the stamp is from Crafty Individuals CI - 139. I used pan pastels to tone with the MF papers. The dies used are, from whimsy the tag, Cheery Lynn the lace border and the clock is Tim Holtz. I added a touch of white gilders paste to the flower petals, leaves and the edges of the stamped image and finally a touch of diamond stickles.

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

I was very tempted to call this blog sweeties, but thought I'd better not. Thought I would put up two lots. Hope it doesn't look too paltry but not sure how much it will cost to send. I will post within Europe (sorry to my lovely blogger friends over The Atlantic) hope you'll understand I will offer another next time open to all. All I ask is just to leave a comment on this post. I'm not angling after any more followers as I'm very pleased to have gone over the 100 mark but it seems a tad unfair, so all my current followers get put in the hat twice IYSWIM. I'll get my Hubby to draw as haven't a clue about a random generator thingy on 15th December??

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

This jewellery uses shrink plastic to create both the pendant and earrings. Firstly I lightly sanded a sheet of shrink plastic and then painted a thin coat of gesso (this makes it easier to stamp on.) I stamped Lost Coast Designs winged girl with archival ink and gently heated to dry the ink. Then I used spellbinders lacy ovals to die cut into the shapes. I coloured the images using zig photo markers and then used my heat tool to shrink. I used a Krylon silver pen around the edges. Then glossy accents to finish, but this needs to be left overnight to dry, a quicker alternative would be Lisa Pavelka Magic Gloss Resin.Earwires and amethyst drops are from my stash.

Haven't forgotten about the blog candy as woo hoo, now101 lovely followers, sorting it out at the moment. I managed to get the last one of the small fabric purses from my local garden centre so will be adding that to it.

Take care & will be back later in the week with the blog candy, till then.

This little cabinet had to be sanded down (least favourite job!) as I'd used it previously and was never happy with it so gave it a make over. It is painted with a few coats of matt emulsion, then stamped with Tim Holtz Pappillon stamps and a Lost coast butterfly one in archival ink. I used a combination of water colours, inktense pencils and distress inks to colour the stamps. Then I waxed over the cabinet with some wood balsam I picked up from Tescos so much easier than using matt medium which makes the distress inks run and varnish which never seems to go on with out runs or bubbles.

Thanks again for all your lovely comments, so appreciated and hello to some new followers, astounded to say there is nearly a 100, will have to think of some blog candy soon as a thank you.

Sunday, 20 November 2011

How excited was I to be invited to join the lovely ladies of the Fashionable Stamping Challenge as a new member of their design team. They are a extremely talented & welcoming bunch and I'm so looking forward to working with them. Please do head along to their blog for some very inspirational projects from the design team. The challenge runs for two weeks and the winning entry will receive this gorgeous enchanted christmas santa stamp set from Marina at Cottage Crafts.

The current challenge is I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, but for those of you like me who struggle a bit with white cards, it could be traditional christmas colours, infact as long as it's christmas themed and includes stamping its up to you.

I chose to make a traditional vintage style card and used my new lifestyle die (so much better value than spellbinders as you get 16 dies in this pack as opposed to the measly 5 or 6 usual spellbinder ones) to make an easel style card.

I used Melissa Frances 'Deck the Halls' paper which I toned down as I felt it was a little bright with TH picket fence distress stain and edged with vintage photo distress ink. The santa stamp is from Kreativ Hobby who ship worldwide and the script stamp is from a set of Alpha stamps which I gold embossed. The sentiment stamp is Joy from Curious by design.

I've sneaked in another couple of cards as I'm really enjoying making them at the moment, just as well seeing as I have plenty more to make LOL.

Another easel card using my new lifestyle die LOL. Other dies used are Cheery Lynn french pastry and Memory box poinsettia wreath. The central stamp is from Stempelglade vintage christmas and stamped with archival ink on glossy card and tinted with zig photomarkers (which I seriously need more off)

The final card I only managed to finish last night and also fits the theme I'm dreaming of a white christmas.

I made the background paper using distress stains in blue jeans, milled lavender and picket fence. Various christmas sentiments stamped in bleach and chipped sapphire.

The stamped image is from Artistic Outpost Sleigh ride and added some lace and bling to finish.

Hope you have a great Sunday, shame no more Downton but I been drawn into I'm a Celebrity Again, so guess what I'll be watching later.

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

The current Happy Daze Challenge is 'Explosion of Colour', so I decided to make a tag in bold colours. I used distress stains in Wild Honey & Barn Door to create the background. I used gold embossing powder for both latin scripts and around the edges of the tag. I stamped one of the houses from the Artistic Outpost whimsical melange in black embossing powder, then cut out and added this beautiful image of the Madonna and Child (from Imagenes vintage gratis). I used a hinge from the Tim Holtz elements and added some Inka gold. I dyed some ribbon with the same distress stains and added some fibres from my stash.

The current Happy Daze challenge is An Explosion of Colour. You have until Midnight on 30th November when one winner will be drawn at random to win a £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop.Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

Saturday, 12 November 2011

I thought I would do a joint challenge for The Fashionable Stamping Challenge which is Days gone By and The Stampsmith Challenge which is Ribbons and Lace. I used my lovely free Stampendous postcard cling stamp from the FSC to create the background. I used distress stains, barn door, victorian velvet, wild honey, picket fence and blue azure cosmic shimmer spray randomly, to colour the paper, then stamped the postcard stamp in bleach. Then I used various postmark stamps in coffee archival ink. I stamped the lovely Stampsmith serena stamp onto gloss card and tinted with zig photomarkers and distress inks. I made a postcard with the stampendous stamp. I used one of my old muslin face cloths which I tea dyed and added a lacy embellishment to decorate. The small label die is by Memory box.

Have a great weekend and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and for leaving much appreciated comments.

Monday, 7 November 2011

Apologises for the rather large post today, thought I would upload a few projects today.

Firstly a mention of the fabulous blog candy by the very talented Lynne Stevens from Trash to treasure. It is her 3rd blog anniversary and to celebrate she is giving away some of her amazing work as blog candy, it is so so gorgeous.

I was inspired by Jean Hardys project in one of the Craftstamper issues for this canvas. Firstly painting the canvas with white gesso which I left to dry, then just mixing in some prussian blue watercolour into the gesso and I painted the background. I stamped and inked some of the CI chipboard houses. I used Inka gold and crackle medium with a touch of gilders paste patina on the fences & the snowflake and used several of the images from the CI books. Then outlined the houses with a gold krylon pen. The Santa & the angels were stamped onto tissue paper then cut out and glued to the canvas then tinted with watercolours.

Stamps used are CI 169, CI 258, CI 163, other stamps are various text stamps from curious by design and Artistic Out post.

This card came about because I saw this gorgeous stamp used by Mrs B to make her fabulous design team card for the Fashionable Stamping Challenge and I loved the card so much I had to have the stamp by rubber stampede, with the lovely Da Vinci image.

Then I thought I'd have ago making it into a pendant. I used some shrink plastic which I die cut, sanded slightly and painted with a thin layer of gesso and used that lovely stamp again and coloured the image with zig photomarkers. Rubbed a bit of inka gold on the back and added glossy accents to the front and glue on a couple of gold connectors and a pearl.

Finally another christmas card using the same Stempelglade Vintage christmas stamps as I used in my last post. But with the addition of the new memory box die which I doubled up to give a 3D effect

Phew, that's all for today. My back is feeling a lot better now, thanks, I think I spend to much time on my behind crafting and not doing enough exercise LOL!

Thanks again for all your lovely kind comments, hope you all had a great weekend.

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

I thought I ought to knuckle down and make a few christmas cards.
I'm a grumpy old woman today as I've hurt my back, would you believe it by stooping to take these pictures with my iphone LOL. Roll on christmas as I need a new camera, the iphone one is a bit rubbish really and as our garden is northfacing it is quite dark for taking pictures.

Another moan why can't you buy 7" by 7" cards and envelopes (and if you can where do you get them from!) I find 6 x 6 too small and 8 x 8 to large yeah I know I could make my own and I do but its the envelopes they are a pain to make and I don't like making them. Really should try and make some non square cards, but there is something I like about them, in my chaotic crafty world there is something ordered about them. Told you I was grumpy, anyway onto the cards.

The first two are using Stempelglade 'Vintage Christmas' love these stamps. I stamped onto glossy card and used Zig photo markers to tint them, they're fine to use with archival ink as I much prefer it to memento for photo stamps. Also used versamagic dewdrop & distress inks too.

Papers used on the first card are Melissa Frances & Joanna Sheen on the second and the Santa card. The Santa stamp is a stampington one, and I used watercolours on this.

I stamped the Gypsy & the caravan in coffee archival ink on watercolour paper. The frame is made using the Tim Holtz baroque dies and cream acrylic paint & I edged the inside of the frame with gold krylon. I made the flower using Tim Holtz tatter florals die and cream cotton which I stamped and coloured with distress inks.

I love the romance of the old style gypsy life, the nearest I'll get to it is a campervan instead, which we hope to get next year LOL!!

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Another christmas decoration from me, this time a hanging. I recycled some card and glued both sides with pale blue paper from my stash then cut out a large heart shape. I randomly stamped and embossed snowflakes and pine cones with white embossing powder, then tinted with versamagic dewdrop chalk inksin pixie dust, sea breeze and aegean blue. I stamped Lost Coast Designs Hark the Herald Angels in archival ink onto glossy paper and tinted with the same versamagic inks. I added some white guipure lace, bead trim and a few embellishments from my stash. I punched a hole each side and threaded through some seam binding to create the hanging.

The current Happy Daze challenge is Christmas or Hallowe'en. You have until Midnight on 31st October when one winner will be drawn at random to win a £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop.Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

I thought I would use these small purses to make a couple of gifts. As they are quite small I decided to limit the stamping as I have a habit of going OTT. I gave the purses three coats of gesso as the surface is not the easiest to stamp on. I used the lovely Ophelia stamp from The stampsmith on the pink purse and used the same image on the back. The photo stamps used on the second purse are from kreativhobby. I used black archival ink and shaded with watercolours, then tinted the edges with a few dewdrop chalk inks. Then coated with glue n seal. I added organza ribbon roses and some tea dyed lace and pearls. Apologises about the photos having to hang on till christmas for a new camera so until then using my trusty iphone, which unfortunately does not have the best camera!

I have been asked where I bought these purses, unfortunately it is from a local garden centre, I have looked online but can't seem to find any where that stocks them.

Saturday, 15 October 2011

I always think of India, at this time of year, apart from the gorgeous weather we have had, many years ago we spent two months there backpacking and ever since then I've had a fascination for all things Indian, and hope to return there some time in the future. So with this in mind I made this little box.

The stamps used are Lost coast designs. The box was painted with three coats of cream matt emulsion then I stamped several images and painted with water colours and distress inks. I stained some braid with distress inks then added some pearls and a brass paisley embellishment. I painted the inside of the box and lined with paper.

Now for something old this is a pastel drawing I did a few years ago of a photo my husband took of some children when we stayed in Dharamasala, Northern India, they must all have children of their own now LOL!

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

This christmas decoration uses Artistic Outpost Sleigh Ridestamps. I die cut six shapes from thick card using the Tim Holtz cabinet card die, which I glued together to make the frame. I stamped the image of the two children and masked, then over stamped with the trees. The image was tinted with distress inks & the frame was painted in red studio acrylic paint. I screwed a hinge onto either side of the frame and finished with stickles and gold cornerslike these.

The current Happy Daze challenge is Christmas or Hallowe'en. You have until Midnight on 31st October when one winner will be drawn at random to win a £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop.Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

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About Me

I've always loved 'Arty things' for as long as I can remember. I've dabbled in most crafty things. Candlemaking, jewellery, silversmithing, but I usually end up going back to my two favourite past times, painting and altered art, but now I have also discovered the world of sewing. Just need a few extra hours everyday to fit it all in!